Exhibitions

In addition to frequently changing Galleries that showcase the permanent collection, Winterthur presents extraordinary exhibitions that highlight the very best in craftsmanship and scholarship, from both our own collection and distinguished institutions around the world.

Step into the imaginative and entertaining world of garden follies! Explore a fantastic display of contemporary and historic architectural features—from a Gothic-inspired tower to American summerhouses to a faerie cottage and more—all set within the majestic beauty of Henry Francis du Pont’s 60-acre garden. This irresistible garden exhibition, featuring thirteen follies, offers a one-of-a-kind outdoor experience with a twist of fun!

A newly acquired cabinet at Winterthur and additional collections emerge as tools in the lucrative business of transatlantic trade in the 18th and 19th centuries. Curated by graduate students at Winterthur, this exhibit will be on view in the Society of Winterthur Fellows Gallery.

This year marks the 300th anniversary of Thomas Chippendale’s birth. To celebrate the 18th-century cabinetmaker and his influential publication The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director, objects from the Winterthur collection will be on view in this exhibit in the Center Gallery.

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Exhibitions

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Quarry Garden

Begun in 1902, when H. F. du Pont was 22, March Bank is the oldest surviving garden area at Winterthur. Du Pont studied The Wild Garden (1904) and other writings by British horticulturists William Robinson and Gertrude Jekyll. Using these ideas, du Pont began naturalizing daffodils on the bank and by the 1940s had planted thousands of snowdrops, snowflakes, crocus, squills, and glory-of-the-snow.

Peony Garden

The herbaceous and tree peonies feature a dazzling array of white, pink, red, yellow, bronze, peach, and maroon flowers in May. Originally designed as an iris garden by landscape architect Marian Coffin in 1929, it was adapted to showcase the work of Dr. A. P. Saunders, a noted peony hybridizer.

Oak Hill

Stroll along the grass paths that afford spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and pond below. Drifts of colorful native and exotic azaleas bloom from April into summer. Lavender colchicum carpet the hill in autumn, echoed by the purple beautyberries nearby.

Pinetum

This rich collection of conifers, or cone-bearing trees, includes pines, firs, spruces, cedars, and their relatives. H. F. du Pont’s father, Henry Algernon du Pont, began the Pinetum in 1914. A notable collection of flowering quince forms a floral corridor beneath the evergreens.

Sycamore Hill

This area, dominated by a venerable old sycamore, features summer-flowering shrubs and trees. Lavender lilacs, fountain buddleias, and princess trees combine with cherry red weigelas. Fragrant white mock-oranges, deutzias, magnolias, and dogwoods bloom in June. Many of these plants also offer brilliant fall foliage or colorful berries.

Magnolia Bend

This area features a grove of stately saucer magnolias, some planted as early as 1875 by Henry Algernon du Pont.
Located at a convergence of paths, Magnolia Bend serves as a transition from woodland garden to open meadow while
echoing colors and textures from surrounding plantings.

Sundial Garden

Designed as an April garden by landscape architect Marian Coffin, this charming area originally was the site of the croquet lawn and tennis courts. Fragrant heirloom plants in shades of pink, white, and lavender form concentric circles around a central armillary sundial.

Winterhazel Walk

The contrasting color combination of yellow winterhazels and rosy-lavender Korean rhododendrons presents a colorful display in early April. Many perennials, including corydalis, primroses, and hellebores bloom in shades of the larger shrubs.

March Bank

Begun in 1902, when H. F. du Pont was 22, March Bank is the oldest surviving garden area at Winterthur. Du Pont studied The Wild Garden (1904) and other writings by British horticulturists William Robinson and Gertrude Jekyll. Using these ideas, du Pont began naturalizing daffodils on the bank and by the 1940s had planted thousands of snowdrops, snowflakes, crocus, squills, and glory-of-the-snow.